Choking Pipefish

Paul B

Well-Known Member
Yesterday I fed my tank as usual. Clams, mysis, new born brine shrimp and live worms. Of course all the fish, especially the copperband rushed out and try to eat everything before the next fish gets it. My Janss pipefish also but he has a tiny mouth and can't eat much food unless it is very tiny, but the competition was fierce and I guess he was hungry so he darted through the hoard of fish like a javelin almost spearing the copperband to grab a mysis shrimp. I watched in horror because I knew that mysis was to large for him. I was right, he started to choke. If he had hands he would have put them on his throat, the international symbol for choking. He was in trouble and I could see the tail of the mysis sticking out his gill. He was trying to gag, but fish don't gag well and they don't have a tongue to push the food out. I rolled up my sleeves, ready to go in to give him the Heimlich maneuver, or worse, a tracheotomy. But I was to slow, he made his way behind the rocks. I crawled around the back of the tank with a flashlight only to see him twisting and gagging. The eyes on the bristle worms were wide open in anticipation of a long skinny meal. I couldn't watch any longer so I had a glass of Grand Marnier and watched a re run of Star Trek.
This morning I fully expected to see him in pieces sticking out from under a hermit crab shell.
The lights came on and there he was. Smiling and looking for more mysis.

You could see the Janss in this Video.
 

mtamorrow

Member
Paul B. FWIW, I thoroughly enjoy all of your posts, everywhere you post them. I mostly appreciate your approach to life and all things in it, including reef tanks and super models (I am married to one as well).

I wish you the best with your move.


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mtamorrow

Member
Thank you Mtamorrow (if that is your real name). Most of us married Supermodels because Supermodelness is a state of mind and if we love our spouses, we think of them as Supermodels. :D
Morrow is my last name. Mta is first initial of me, my wife, and our daughter. It’s all about family. I may have to add a letter now for my son in law and grand daughter. But if I do it for them, my mom may want in on it too.


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